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This comes after several witnesses, including the MP himself, recently confirmed that the MP receives allowances in the name of “Salibo” or honorarium during Koriteh and Tobaski festivals.
When questioned, Alagie Jeng responded: “It is honorarium, not ‘Salibo’ for councillors”, claiming that the ward councillors were paid for services rendered to the council.
However, lead attorney Patrick Gomez intervened in the discussion, raising concerns about whether the money had been paid to all councillors and whether it could be tied to any committee.
“Both parties agreed that this was a directive from the CEO,” Mr Cheng told the committee.
However, as questions were repeatedly raised, Mr Cheng later changed his initial statement that the councillors provided services to the council. He admitted that the statement that the payment was for services was false. He then said that the payment was discussed and agreed by the council chairman and some councillors as well as the chairman and CEO, and that he was instructed to make the payment.
Zheng testified that councillors from Korit and Tobaski were paid twice a year. The lead lawyer asked Zheng why he approved such payments in his capacity as finance director, and Zheng insisted it was an oversight.
Again, in response to questions raised by the committee chairman Jainaba Bah, the witness stated that there was no amount categorised as “honourary payment” in the financial manual.
He stated unequivocally: “These payments were illegal,” thereby admitting that illegal financial practices were perpetrated by the top management of the Brikama District Council.
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry was established by the Government of The Gambia with a mandate to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the conduct of local government authorities (assemblies), with a particular focus on administrative and financial matters, and to make recommendations to promote and strengthen transparency and accountability in local governance. Its mandate runs from May 2018 to January 2023.
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